Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
by Semajohn
Summary: Second season AU. Takes start at 'Samson & Delilah' and goes on. Brother and sister were sent back in time to warn Connors about a new threat. And what if John has become closer to Cameron before the car's explosion? Would he deny Riley when he meets her?.. It's like a sequel to Daydreamers, but not necessary to read first.
1. Samson & Delilah

**READ THIS THOROUGHLY!  
**

_This is some kind of sequel to Daydreamers. I used the main line from there(J&C are together) but this story is darker. I suggest you to read Daydreamers first. But if you don't want, then here's small synopsis._ _Cameron and John came together. That is what they are now. Just before the 1.09. And what happened to them later, read it here._**  
**

_All characters are included, but I haven't shown all of them in this chapter. And yes, some new characters will be here too._

* * *

**Chapter 1. Samson & Delilah**

Fire quickly scattered through the house. Sarah came up to John, and briefly looked at him. Her eyes were filled with light horror and doubts, but also love. John had just killed a person. John Connor just before her eyes, saving her life, had killed Sarkissian. Sarah was scared. Her heart was troubled, but she held on.

John glanced sharply toward the stairs. Sarah turned back; Cameron stood next to the door. Terrible scratch crossed her face, but she wasn't even worried about that. Sarah looked closely into her eyes, and realized that something was wrong.

Cameron looked at the body of the Sarkissian. For a few seconds. Apparently, she was assessing his condition. And then she looked up at John.

**Subject****:**** Identified. ****Mission:**** Terminate.**

Sarah was the first to notice her movement. Cameron began to raise the gun.

John with slight fright looked at her, and his heart refused to believe in what was happening. This was impossible. Unreal. It was unthinkable. The girl, of which he had dreamed, with which he recently had managed to be alone, with whom he had been kissing in the bathroom... but now she was just coldly looking at John Connor, raising her gun to kill him.

Machine. Just a machine.

But John didn't believe it. He couldn't just go and believe in what was happening to him. _No, __Cameron... no, __you can't…_

"No..." his lips whispered. "You can't..."

Sarah closed him with her body, ready to defend him against any attack, but right before she blocked John's face, Cameron saw the movements of John's lips. Her head jerked slightly, but the hand was still rising.

Until the next moment that staircase, on which Cameron stood, collapsed down because of the exploding gas container, directly beneath her.

John couldn't believe it. _No__, Cam__...__ no, not like this__... __what happened?.._

Sarah turned back - Cameron wasn't be seen. A few seconds passed like minutes, but then here's appeared Cameron's hand.

The only thing that they could now was to run. As quickly and as far as possible. A machine, a terminator, you couldn't hide from it. It always finds you. And Sarah with John had to run as far as possible from here.

Seeing doubt on the face of her son, Sarah grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him to the window. "Come on, John! We need to run!.. "

He didn't answer. He didn't even look at her. He threw another look at raising Cameron, with pleading look at her cold eyes and... but another jolt from Sarah made him turning around. Moment, and both of them, one by one, leaped out of the window.

They had to run, and as soon as possible, away from here, away from Cameron. John was struck to the core, and Sarah could see it in his face. He refused to believe it. She knew why. Because something happened recently between him and the cyborg. Sarah couldn't have helped but notice the quick glances between them, easy smiles.

But now it was different. Cameron was their enemy. There was no other way. Or hide, or kill Cameron. The second option, John would never accept it. So, she had to convince him. But right now they had to hide.

Cameron watched them through the window for a few seconds. Making note of where they had gone, Cameron took a step back, and then abruptly went to the window and jumped. Her servos in the left leg were damaged, but she didn't pay attention to it. Cyborgs didn't feel pain. It was against their nature. She just went to her goal.

But Cameron hadn't landed successfully. She barely had time to put her hands in front of her, for her head not to hurt from hitting the ground.

She gently and slowly stood up.

Cameron looked around. Sarah and John Connor were gone. But she remembered where they were gone. She prepared, and went after them. Limping, she still went on, relentlessly, with occasionally twitching head.

John whispered words to her. _You can't_. Of course she could. It was her goal to kill John Connor. The question was why he whispered it, knowing that she was only a machine? For Cameron it was a mystery, but she didn't even pay attention to this puzzle. She just went to the goal. Let this John Connor whispered what he liked to. She had to kill him. At any cost.

**### (present) ###  
**

John and Sarah were going by car they had got from some poor woman.

The houses flashed around them; Sarah wanted to take them as far as possible. They didn't speak. Sometimes Sarah threw looks at John, but she saw only confusion and pain on his face.

He had too much trust in the machine, flashed through her mind.

And John recalled. The very moment when he and Cameron had come out of the bathroom, and their brief conversation. Just a few words, but that was enough:

**### (past) ###**

John came out of the bathroom and looked at the corridor. No one. He heard the sound of light dishes from the kitchen and there sounded male voice. Certainly his mother was now in the kitchen together with Derek.

He turned back. Cameron followed him. Her hair was slightly wet, even though she had perfectly wiped it with a towel. It still remained wet.

He smiled at her. _Finally_, he thought. _I __finally __feel that I __found her. __I don't mean that I have __lost__ her__ somewhere__. __I mean __that __I've been __looking for her__, and now I found her with__ my heart. __Finally __found her._

Seeing the smile on his face, Cameron slightly smiled too.

Just for a few seconds, but they were enjoying the moment. They just looked at each other, and nothing more.

John Connor sighed. The truth was far from pleasant. Truth between Cameron and his family. Neither Derek nor even his mom saw her as something more. They saw her as a machine. And only that, nothing else. "Cam, I... listen. We have a lot of work ahead. If you don't mind, I'd like us not to talk about what happened with anyone, okay?" John embarrassed at his words, but he couldn't help himself.

"You ask me if I mind? How can I be against your opinion, John?"

He smiled slightly. "Not in that sense, Cam. I don't treat you as a thing. I..." Cameron ran a hand through his hair. John was taken aback, and as if he lost his tongue.

"Thank you, John."

He swallowed.

"I never treated you as a thing," John smiled slightly nervously. "But I respect your opinion. That's why I've asked. Do you mind?"

Cameron smiled at him again. "I understand, John. You don't want Sarah or Derek find out about it."

"They will know, but at the time," John said confidently. "They just don't understand it now."

"They don't understand why you chose the machine. And not only them."

"But you're not just a machine, Cam. You're much more than just a machine. "

John smiled at her. Cameron subtly tilted her head. He didn't understand her words, and despite that she wanted to be with him. It was not so good for future leader of the resistance to love a machine. She so wanted to be with him, but that wasn't the right thing for John Connor. And Cameron didn't know what she had to do. Or protect him from Skynet and its units, or protect him from anyone except her.

She decided to ask him about that, but when she wanted to say something to John, Sarah's voice interrupted her: "Oh, there you are, Tin Miss. Get ready. We are waiting for the job. I guess, John already told you everything." Sarah approached them, and with some surprise looked at Cameron. "Why your hair is wet?" Sarah stared first at the cyborg then at John.

Cameron for just a second looked at John Connor; he didn't take his eyes off her. But Cameron didn't get lost. If John didn't want to reveal them yet, she wouldn't be against him. Cameron looked at Sarah. "Watering system of neighbors. It poured water on me while I was checking the perimeter."

Sarah seemed relieved, and she looked back at Cameron. «Don't make a blunder next time. Come on, we need to hurry."

She turned and headed for the exit. Cameron gave another look at John. If he wanted to hide it for a while she wouldn't argue. But she had to talk to him when it would be over. When they would be done with Sarkissian and the Turk they should talk. But right now she just winked at him and went after Sarah.

John hadn't felt so happy. What could stop his happiness?..

**### (present) ###  
**

They were still driving the car.

"John, are you all right?" Sarah threw one look at John. Her son was lost in his mind, he seemed in deep thought. But Sarah saw how something changed at his face. "John, are you all right?" She asked with a pressure, and stared at him. John didn't answer. Sarah began to worry in earnest. "John, can you answer me?!" She touched his shoulder. John seemed to come to life, and with horror looked ahead, at the road.

They raced straight into the car.

"Mom!" he shouted sharply, gesturing ahead. Sarah turned her head, and horrified. The next moment she turned the wheel, and they drove around the car, to its left, but they were going to hit the one that moved across the intersection.

Three… two… one…

Seconds flashed so quickly, and that was imminent.

Crash!..

They couldn't move at the car any longer.

Sarah looked at John. He seemed to be okay. But suddenly pain rolled over her right arm, and she clutched her hand. John rubbed his forehead. It seemed he hit his head on the dashboard, but he looked quite unharmed.

Several seconds, and they got off the car.

**### (present) ###  
**

Cameron slowly but inexorably went through the streets of Los Angeles. The skin on her face had already started to heal, but it wasn't enough. Her HUD displayed the warning that the metal on her face could reveal her nature. She had to find a way to seal or sew up the wounds to cover the metal.

Damaged servomotors in her left leg didn't allow her to move faster than she could. Yes, she had been created to repair herself, but the process was very slow. Her servos would be fixed fully only tomorrow night, and she couldn't lose Sarah and John Connor. She had to destroy them.

Cameron turned her head. To her left was a stationery store. That was what she needed. Stapler could help batten down her skin and napkins could conceal burns and dirt on her face.

**### (present) ###  
**

John and Sarah had found refuge in the church. Not that this was the right place, but there they could take cover for a while. The priest was a very nice man, and he had allowed them to hide here.

"We can't run away forever, John," Sarah said. "She knows everything about us, our accounts, phones, shelters."

"I know," John didn't look at her, his eyes just were just staring at the floor.

"We have to stop her. No other choice. "

John didn't answer.

"We have to stop her," Sarah repeated. "If we don't, she will stop us, but I can't let her kill you. She turned against us. This is a machine, they never stop. We must kill her..."

"I know!" John angrily slapped his hands on the table and looked at Sarah. "I know," he repeated, more quietly.

Pain ate him from the inside. Pain, incomprehensible, but so burning... John didn't want to lose her. Not when he finally found her her. Cameron, _his_ Cameron. He couldn't let Sarah to kill her.

In the main hall there was the font. They could make a trap, and get Cameron into it. Let her put her hand in this font, and they would run current through her. Then they pull out her chip. And John, no matter what Sarah said to him, he would try to find out what could be done to fix it. John was sure that the chip was damaged, and that he could fix that damage.

He couldn't lose Cameron. Couldn't.

**### (past) ###  
**

They stood in a museum. Around them, people were walking, and studied the exhibits and just talk to each other.

But John remained silent. As if nothing was important to him now. His face was full of thoughts, he didn't go with anyone and didn't look at anything but in front of him. For twenty-eight minutes. Cameron didn't know what happened to him, so she just got closer and just looked at him. John lifted his head and smiled slightly, but the smile was some kind of forced.

"You are silent for twenty-eight minutes, John."

"Yes..." he drew. "The thing is that... you know what today is, don't you?"

"Wednesday, November 14, 2007," Cameron replied instantly.

John grinned. "I'm not about this. Today is my birthday."

"Your birthday was 24 years ago. If we assume the jump in time, then 16 years ago."

"Yes, but... every year people like, um, celebrate it. It's like a holiday. Do you understand?.."

Cameron slightly bowed her head. "Do I have a birthday?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Were you born? "

"I was built."

John smiled slightly. "Well, maybe you have like a builtday."

Cameron, seeing his smile, smiled too. "Then why are you upset if you have a holiday today?" She asked.

"Mom," John said, and turned away. "She seems to have forgotten that I have a birthday. And on the last one she gave me a flak jacket. "

"That's a tight present."

"I don't argue, but not as a gift."

Cameron tilted her head a little, but kept her eyes on John. "On the birthday people should make presents?" She asked.

"Yes, they do," John nodded.

"Should I make you a present?" She asked him. John was dumbfounded at it.

His eyes began to run, his heartbeat quickened. Pupils were dilated, his breathing quickened. None of this was lost on Cameron. She smiled a little, seeing his sudden embarrassment, although she didn't understand why John suddenly embarrassed.

«Um… If you want, then yes," he answered timidly.

Cameron knew that it wasn't very right thing to do. If she does it then she even worsens the things. She must not do this, but like something inside her told her that she should. She didn't knew what it was, but she like felt something told her that.

And Cameron smiled. "Then I'm ready to make it right now," she approached him, and kissed him on the lips. John was taken aback by this, and confused. If before she had tried to copy the movements of his lips, but now her lips were moving by their own, guiding him. And it was incredibly tender kiss; like that had never been in his life.

She broke the kiss, and pulled away slightly. And smiled at him. "Was it enough for a birthday present, or you need something more?" She asked playfully. John with his wide eyes looked at her. He lost all his words right now. How he could answer to her, to his lifedream?

John with adoring eyes was staring at her, not knowing what to say. Was it enough? Hell, he wanted more!

They just stood and looked at each other. John couldn't look away. But he didn't know hat to say.

When they were interrupted. Morris. He came up with the player, and he offered Cameron listen to music. John was like poured over from a bucket of cold water. "Hey, Cameron, listen to this," Morris smiled and handed earphone to Cameron. The girl looked up at it with some misunderstanding. Definitely, Morris hadn't just seen them.

John shook his head, and broke them: "Hey, Morris. What you've got there?.."

The guy looked at John, and between them instantly a conversation struck up. None of them noticed how Cameron smiled at John. _John_... _my_ _John_... But then her eyes caught the stranger. Her face instantly grew serious, and she decided to follow him.

**### (present) ###  
**

Cameron came to the baptismal font in the church. John and Sarah cautiously watched her from the side, from behind the curtain. Their trap worked perfectly. The blood that they had intentionally left in front of the church had attracted Cameron's attention, and now she was here. They wished it would work... John so wanted to return _his_ Cameron, to know what had happened to her, to fix all the damages. He must, _must_ bring her back!

Cameron put her hand into the font. Moment, and through her ran a current. A moment later she jerked a little and fell on the floor. Sarah and John immediately ran to her.

The time was running out. 120 seconds, they had no more. John hardly touched the skin, when the priest's male voice interrupted them: "What are you doing?"

Sarah looked at him sharply. And stood up. "I told you, don't come. You should go."

The priest didn't withdraw, he only looked at John, who began to cut the skin.

"You should go!" Sarah slightly raised her voice. "Go!"

The priest obeyed. He stared in horror at Cameron, but stepped back and disappeared behind the curtain.

Sarah quickly returned to John. "70 seconds," she said.

"We must hurry."

He began to cut, but the skin was hard to budge. The knife was too blunt.

But John did it. "Screwdriver!" He snapped. Sarah quickly pulled the screwdriver from her pocket and handed it to him. "50 seconds," she said.

John began to remove the port cover. But the screwdriver couldn't cope with it. Metal couldn't overcome the metal, and John couldn't help it. "It's better with a knife," he said, and changed the tool.

"25 seconds," Sarah said.

_We don't have time_, the thought flashed through John's mind. "Not enough time," he said.

"Run! We don't have time! "Sarah got up, and began to get John up. He reluctantly went after her. _No, __I have to bring her back! __I have to save __her..._

But it was too late. Cameron had already booted. They had no choice but to flee, and they ran.

Cameron stood up. When she got up, John and Sarah had already gone. She tilted her head; the skin on her head was torn off. She raised her hand and smoothed the skin.

Skynet demanded immediate actions from her. Skynet inside her demanded to be quicker. She without delaying went after them.

**### (****past****) ###  
**

Cameron closed the trunk, and turned around. "Hey, Cameron! I've been looking for you!" Morris approached her, and stared at Mercedes. "This is your car?" He asked, looking at it.

"No," Cameron said. "It belongs to the guy I killed and stuffed in the trunk."

Morris with some fear looked at Cameron. John ran up and called Cameron: «Hey! Where you've been? Mom says we gotta get home right now." John with surprise looked at the car. «What's up with the car?"

Morris looked at him. "Cameron stuffed a dead man in the trunk," he said slowly. John gave a surprised look on Cameron.

"He was following us," she said.

For a few seconds there was silence until Morris smiled and looked at John. "Your sister is dark, bro," then he looked at Cameron. "You're gonna love The Smith."

John decided to hurry. "Yeah, she's ... she's really Goth."

Cameron stared at him. Seriously looked into his eyes. "Get in," she said.

She turned and walked to the driver's seat, John immediately went to the passenger's one. Cameron barely opened door, when Morris remembered what he had come for. "Wait, Cameron! Hey, I'm... there's something I kinda need to ask you," he dropped his head a little. "You think you maybe wanna go to the prom with me?"

Cameron with a slight misunderstanding looked at Morris, but then looked at John. He doubted in his answer, but only he opened his mouth to say something when Cameron turned to Morris, she said "No," and without waiting for an answer she got into the car. Morris looked startled, he took one look at John, but he seemed to be happy at this answer. John winked at Morris, and got into the car. Morris was confident that Cameron would have said yes, but she said otherwise.

He was upset, and just looked at how John and Cameron went away on the Mercedes.

They drove a few blocks. All the while John was just wondering who could be in the trunk. Cameron wouldn't have killed a person for nothing; surely there was someone hostile to them.

But soon his thoughts were absorbed by Cameron's reaction at Morris. John was happy with this answer. He felt like his heart was poured with warm. He looked at Cameron, but she looked utterly serious. "Hey, what's up with you?" He asked.

Cameron looked at him. "You called me a Goth. Do I look like a Goth?"

John became serious. "It's a... well, I said it to confuse Morris, but you just stuffed a dead man in the trunk. And sorry, but ... you face sometimes is very dummy."

Cameron stared at John. He didn't take his eyes off her. She cutely and nicely smiled at him. John smiled back. "You see! You look great, you just shine when you smile!" John exclaimed.

Cameron's eyes flashed a spark. John blushed slightly, but felt he had said the right thing.

"I wouldn't smile at anyone else as I smile at you," she said. "I would smile at no one else."

John was somewhat taken aback, but inside him a real happiness was spreading. Cameron smiled at him. John had never been so happy in his life.

Never.

**### (present) ###  
**

Sarah and John were in the SUV, they sped away from the church.

John looked in rear mirror, and noticed that Cameron watched them. He touched the mother's arms, and she also looked into the mirror. "We must hurry," she said.

Cameron calculated their route from afar and immediately went forward.

Sarah barely noticed the cart in front of the car and turned the wheel sharply to the left. They just miraculously didn't come with a man. The next moment, and the van came out of nowhere, to the left of them. Sarah had no choice but to turn out the wheel sharply to the left, because at their right there was no place to maneuver.

They turned. They couldn't move by road, there was a fence. The only option was to go under the bridge.

Sarah turned in there and they rushed to the tunnel.

Several homeless people immediately parted, seeing the approaching car, directly to their "home". Someone threw a bottle at the windshield. By some miracle it hadn't cracked.

Sarah added speed.

They raced forward. When there appeared Cameron's figure in front of them. John grabbed the dashboard.

Sarah turned at the last moment, but it was too late. Cameron put the whole mass of her body in the blow; she struck the rear of the car. Sarah didn't have time to turn out the steering wheel, the car skidded, and on the way down at the out of the tunnel the car began to roll, and they flew, turning in the air.

Cameron fell. But immediately she began to rise.

The car landed on the roof.

John woke up from the shock. Sarah was still with her eyes closed. He tried to shake her. Now, when they were upside down, it was not so easy.

Sara woke up after a few seconds. Her face writhed in pain, but she didn't say a word about it.

John noticed how Cameron almost stood up. And now she would go to them.

Sarah followed his gaze. And then wearily looked at John. "Run."

"I'm not leaving you," he said firmly.

"Run!" Sarah raised her voice, and pushed him with her hand. John threw another look at her. In his eyes was fear. But he obeyed. As he always did when they got into extreme situations.

John got out of the car, threw another glance at Sarah, and ran away.

Cameron was approaching. Sarah managed to get out of the car, but just at the moment when Cameron approached her. She looked coldly at Sarah. "Call him," she said steadily. Sarah scornfully looked back.

John had already disappeared behind the passage, when heard the scream of his mother. He stopped. His heart was filled with pain instantly.

_No__, not that__... not like that..._

He decided not to run away. He had to stop her. Just stop her. Pull the chip out and fix it.

**### (present) ###  
**

James Ellison has never felt himself like that. It seemed what there could be weirder than bank explosion in 1999? But now things were very different.

He came out of the FBI office, and headed for his car. Definitely, he needed a rest. Rest from all this, just to refresh his head.

Laszlo. This George Laszlo. Twenty-two FBI agents, trained guys, came to his house, and he just destroyed them. And why he let him live? He hoped that Ellison could take him to Connors? How James could think of Connors after that shooting?

He was advised to rest at work. _Forced vacation_. Well, he would use it. He had to investigate. Destroy this Lazlo. Connor could help, but James wanted to rest a bit. At least one night, if that was enough.

James sighed, and sat in the car.

**### (present) ###  
**

Seeing the nearest warehouse, John raced there. When suddenly the wound reminded of itself. He clutched his side, but he tried to keep up the pace.

Inside, it was not too many places to hide. He briefly scanned the shelves and a truck that was inside.

_No, __I will not __run away._

He immediately began to look for a screwdriver or a knife, something that could help him to open the port cover.

He ran on the shelves. He quickly found a screwdriver. He immediately grabbed it, then he turned around and began to look for something else.

He needed an electroshock to completely finish the job. Among the racks, where he had already been looking for, was no electroshock. But there were still other racks. He began frantically looking through the things on the shelves.

When on one of the shelves he caught what he was looking for.

He turned around. Cameron had just entered the warehouse. All that John was needed was to touch her neck by electroshock.

He ran to her, wincing from the pain in his side. Carefully watching Cameron, her movements, he prepared himself.

Cameron took a step toward him, assessing his condition. Not a bone was broken, but it didn't hurt him to limp a bit.

She braced herself, evaluating his every possible movement.

John approached her. He squeezed the electroshock in his hands. Just a little more...

He rushed at her, throwing his hand forward. If not for the pain in his side, he would throw his hand farther, but his face screwed up, wild pain struck his body. He slightly bent his arm.

If not for the pain, he would have reached the desired. Cameron caught him in time, she grabbed his armpits. John's face contorted in pain. Cameron threw his hand with the electroshock to the side and threw him to the truck. John dropped out of the hands the electroshock, but didn't let go of the screwdriver.

He fell back on the hood of the truck and groaned in pain. Cameron quickly approached him, pulled up to him and grabbed him by the neck. John began to choke.

His mind was blurring. "Cam..." he whispered. "Cam, stop..."

At the last moment, he decided to appeal to her. Maybe he would succeed?.. He had no chance, there were no other options, and that was his last way. "Cameron, stop... please... this is not you, you can't do this..."

"My name is not Cameron," she said coldly. "I have no name."

"Cam..." he whispered. He tried to get to the cover of the port, he reached out with a screwdriver, but Cameron caught his hand and squeezed it tightly. John clenched his teeth in pain. "Cam, stop!.. Remember!.. Remember, what is your mission?..

"Kill John Connor."

"No, you have come to his defense!.."

"Mistake. My task is to kill John Connor."

"No!.. don't... remember... remember two days ago... you and me... in the bathroom... Cameron, please..." She stopped squeezing his neck, but her hand was still on it. "Cam… remember… you and me…"

Her grip loosened, some shadow crossed her face, and she narrowed her eyes slightly. Hardly her fingers though slightly but released his neck he quickly crawled away on the hood to the windshield. Cameron froze. Her hand was stretched out in front of her, she didn't move. Her face was cold without any kind of emotions.

_She remembered__? __What __happened __to her__? __Or is it __the chip __damage __caused another __glitch? __What __i__s happening?_ All of these swept through John's mind.

John with some misunderstanding looked at her. She didn't move. Not for a bit. Then she calmly looked up at him. Her cold eyes didn't reflect any kind of life. There was nothing. Void.

John with some horror was looking at her. He had to run away, but so wanted to stay and help her. He was torn to pieces. Choice.

This choice didn't allow him to move.

But Cameron just looked at him coldly. And didn't move too. How long it could last?..

The sharp sound of the approaching truck interrupted them. Cameron turned. The car, driven by Sarah Connor, was speeding right at her

Cameron turned around, came closer to John, and tried to climb up on the hood to him, but the damaged servo in her left leg reduced her speed, and the Sarah's truck crashed into her, sticking her between two trucks.

John looked with horror at all this. He didn't move until the voice of his mother revived him: "John! John, hurry! Pull the chip!"

John suddenly remembered that in his hand he still had a screwdriver. He got up abruptly and went to Cameron.

He had to find out what happened to her chip.

"John. John you can't do this," he heard her pleading voice. "You don't know what you are about to do. Please John, don't do this."

"You tried to kill me," he whispered to her.

"It wasn't me. I ran a test. Everything is fine now. Please John, don't do this. I don't want to go."

He stopped. She said it so vividly, so real... he believed her. He always believed her. She turned against them, but John was willing to forgive her for that. After all, she had been created by his enemy. And the fact that she began to struggle, only confirmed his belief.

Cameron could fight and wanted to fight.

If this wasn't for a glitch that she let him go, and if all the words that she said wasn't a lie.

Cameron began to cry. "Please John, please. I don't want go. I'm good now. Listen to me. I don't want go now," John tried to pull out the cover, but it was very hard. He stopped again.

Was it a lie? Was she lying to him? "John! Don't listen to her, do it!" That was Sarah's voice. Yes, he couldn't betray his mother. But again, he had wanted to tell her before that he had chosen a machine. This machine that had come to him from the future. To protect him.

Was she lying to him again? Or not?

"What are you waiting for?!"

He pulled out the cover of the port with her chip.

"John, she doesn't know. I'm fixed now. I ran a test. John, please… she doesn't know. She doesn't know of us…"

John was taken aback by this. He stopped again, this time his eyes widened, his mind started to go crazy. Tears were running from her eyes, he saw her pleading look. He looked her straight in the eye.

"John Connor! Do it! Now!" That was Sarah again.

How he could do it when he believed Cameron?

She looked at him. John looked at her.

They saw each other's eyes, and John just couldn't believe that it was some glitch. Because he believed Cameron. If she remembered them being together in the bathroom… but it all could be just a trap to lead him to believe her.

Yet some logic still was inside him.

But his heart refused to do it.

He needed to see at her chip, to check it, to find out what he could do there.

He reached her chip when her next words stopped him again and struck him to the core. "I love you. I love you John. Please. I love you John and you love me!"

He couldn't move any longer. Her voice made him froze. Because these words were so desirable to him, he had always wanted to hear this from her.

Seconds stretched in minutes, in hours. He felt how the time froze. He just looked into her eyes, her so pleading eyes. She was _alive_. Not a drop of imitation in her face. He believed her. He knew she was telling the truth. Because he had seen it in her earlier. He knew that was the truth.

Suddenly his mom's words returned him to life: "John, do it! NOW!"

He last time looked into her eyes, and he whispered to her: "I know."

Then he pulled out the chip.

And Cameron went emotionless. Her body went limp.

They were done there.

**### (past) ###  
**

John sat in his room. He checked the hard drive, which they had stolen from Sarkissian.

Cameron went in his room. John looked at her and smiled. "Hey," he said.

Cameron sat on the bed and looked at him calmly. "I need to talk to you," she said. "It's very important."

John looked up from his laptop and looked at her. "Sure. What do you want to talk?"

"Us."

John froze. But just nodded. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes. We are wrong. "

John was a little taken aback by this. "Why do you think so?"

"I'm a machine," she bowed her head slightly. "I was created by Skynet. I was created by your enemy. I don't know my original goals, it is erased from my chip, but I'm sure they weren't well-meaning. I was built by your enemy, and I can be considered as your enemy. I was reprogrammed, and after a while went back in time to your defense. I am to protect you. "

She stopped and looked at John. He sat quietly and attentively listened to her. He didn't interrupt her, waiting to hear the most important.

"But _you_ are to be a leader of the resistance. John Connor. You must lead the people to prevent Skynet, to prevent the machines, to prevent _us_. Here's what your essence."

"Are you saying that I can't choose you, just because you're a machine?"

"No. I'm saying, you're the future leader of the resistance."

"That is, people just stop to trust me," John sighed.

"That is right, John."

Cameron sat on his bed, her hands were on her laps. She sat neat and calm, but her face was _alive_. John saw a faint shadow passed over her face when she had said that she couldn't be with him.

Cameron was evolving. From a human point of view, she began associated with the social life, and studied human behavior. Not just trying to copy, but _studied_. And like a human being, emotions gradually were evolving inside her. That was why she had daydreamed then. That was why she felt the warmth whenever John smiled at her.

That was why she stood John Connor out among the others. Not just as a subject of protection. As a person.

John knelt down before her and took her hand. Were Sarah or Derek see them now, and they both would fall into a stupor. "Listen to me. No matter what anyone says. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. We are going to change history and stop Skynet. If we stop it, people will not distrust me because of you. Just because they will not be afraid of you. And to be honest... you're brilliantly acting like a human. No one can suspect something inhuman in you."

He took a breath and continued. "Since we decided to stop Skynet, then we will change the history, and I hope for the better. And when we stop it, I want to be with someone I can trust. Suppose that you have created in order to kill me, you're not here for that."

"I'm here for your protection." She looked him in the eye.

"That's right. This is your goal. But what are your wishes?"

She hung her head, and for a few seconds was just looking at her hands in John hands. Then she gently lifted her eyes and looked at John. "I want to be here with you." She said firmly. John smiled at her.

"As I do," he whispered to her. Barely had he wanted to kiss her, when knock at the door prevented him. "Yes?" He said.

"It's me, John," this was Sarah's voice. John abruptly got up and sat at his desk. Cameron rose slowly, and went to the door. Before she opened it, she looked at John and smiled at him. John smiled back.

None of them knew that this was their last conversation before the car's explosion.

**### (present) ###  
**

John sat in the ambulance. They went far away from the city to burn the body of Cameron. John didn't manage to convince them to leave her. Sarah was relentless, she said she couldn't afford to have her son again subjected to such a risk. She said she wouldn't allow him to do it, to fix her.

John sat quietly and just studied the chip. He rubbed it several times, but couldn't say definitely what was wrong. At the first sight everything was in order. There were no damages. However, even unobtrusive scratch could cause enormous damage for such a complex device. Knowing that Cameron was in the car at the explosion, anything could poke her head.

John came close to her body, and put his hand under her skull. A few moments later, he found a faint hole in the skin.

So, something damaged the chip from the outside. John sat back and began to clean the chip on. Perhaps he could even fix it somehow ...

Sarah saw his movements. She sat down close to him. And she stared at her son.

"What she said back there, everything she said was a trick. You know that, right?" Sarah's voice was calm, but John heard the notes of pressure. He didn't answer her. He didn't want to answer, but he knew that she wasn't right. "They don't feel anything. They don't have feelings." John pretended not to hear her. He stared at the chip, cleaning it, from any dust particles, from any dirt. He had hoped to fix the chip. Even by just a simple cleaning. "They don't know love."

John was ready to maliciously look at his mother, to argue with her, to tell her that she was wildly wrong, but all he did was only whispering: "You don't know Cameron."

Sarah didn't hear him, and didn't even notice movements of his lips. But judging by his zeal, he wasn't going to stop.

Sarah sighed.

Rather, they soon should arrive at the place. And burn the body of Cameron.

**### (present) ###  
**

John looked with the pain at the silent Cameron's body, sprinkled with thermit. She was in the car.

They all were against him. Against John Connor. And he couldn't have convinced them that Cameron was on his side. On John Connor's side, not people's.

And now, he didn't have a chance. There were three of them, Sarah, Derek and Charlie. All of them were against her recovery. They were ready to smash her to pieces.

But not John.

"Chip?" Derek said, looking at John. He reluctantly nodded and pulled out a chip.

John walked over to the car. Derek just sprinkled Cameron's body with thermit, and now reached out to John to take a chip, but John didn't accept the gesture. He walked up to the car, opened the door and climbed inside. Derek got out of the car.

John sat next to Cameron and stopped. He carefully looked at her. And reluctantly put the chip right in Cameron's hand, putting her hand on her chest. And then he tenderly squeezed her hand.

Sarah had seen it all, and couldn't accept that her son was suffering. He had failed to convince them that he would be able to fix Cameron's chip and bring her back. John had seen her eyes; he had heard how sincerely she had confessed her love for him. John couldn't just go and destroy her. He couldn't kill the dream that had become his life. _I can't... I have to go against them. I can't lose her._

Determination seized him. That was why he decided to show them all that he cared for her. He didn't want to let her die, let her be destroyed. That's why he played his role. He wanted to make them believe that he had given up to them.

He looked at the broken door of the car. "Flare. Where is it?"

Charlie turned his head. "Sarah?"

"Yeah," she answered. Derek nodded, and ran his hand over his face. Charlie put the flare out of his bag and handed it to John. He took it, and for a few seconds just stared at it, until he looked at Cameron again.

He came ready.

John looked at his mother, and slightly shook his head. "I'm sorry."

One second, and he pulled the chip to Cameron's skull. No one had time to do something. "John, don't do this!" Derek raised his voice, but had nothing to do. John instantly pulled out the gun and aimed at him.

"John. She'll kill you," that was his mom. He pointed his gun at her. He was aiming at his mom!..

"There's only one way to find out," he said firmly.

Sarah with horror looked at Cameron.

Cyborg's head subtly twitched, and she opened her eyes. John saw it, and took a step back. He took aim at Cameron.

The cyborg sat. Then she carefully looked at John. He didn't take his gun off her. She opened her lips slightly, and for a moment said nothing. "Are you here to kill me, John?" She asked.

John blinked. The gun in his hand twitched slightly, but John held it tightly.

He heard the notes of confusion in her voice.

"Are you here to kill me?" He asked her back.

She looked into his eyes. "No," Cameron said firmly. Sara with horror looked at what was happening. She couldn't believe that the machine that had turned against them, the machine that had haunted them through the entire LA, now suddenly stopped trying to kill them.

John lowered his gun and carefully handed it to Cameron. Sarah gasped, Derek and Charlie breathed in horror. "Promise?" John said, handing the gun to Cameron.

She took the gun and looked at John. Her hand involuntarily began to rise, and gradually began to aim the gun at John. Sarah with a wild horror watched as Cameron took aim at him.

But the face of John remained calm. He believed Cameron, and believed that she wouldn't shoot. It remained only to convince others that Cameron could be trusted.

She stared at John. **Subject****: ****Identified****. ****Terminate****. **But she didn't want to do it. She recalled their recent conversation. _I don't care__ t__hat you__ are a machine, Cam. __I care __that you're here __for me._

**Termination… override.**

She turned the gun in her hand and gave it to John. "Promise," she said. John sighed in relief. He took the gun and put it away, and then he reached Cameron's hand to help her get out of the car. Of course, she didn't need in help. But John didn't take her as a machine. He treated her like a Girl. He saw now girl in her, the girl who just needed help.

None of them, neither Sarah nor Derek nor Charlie could believe in what was happening. It was unreal, impossible. And nevertheless, the cyborg refused to kill John. Each of them as if I suddenly began to look at the world differently. As if a switch suddenly turned inside Derek, and Sarah and Charlie suddenly saw something in the Cameron. No, they still saw her as a machine, but there was obviously something inside her that had stopped her from killing John Connor.

But was this enough to convince them? Derek just asked one simple question in his mind, _could they feel?_

John strongly looked at his mother. His eyes like flashed the phrase _I told you_. He lit flare and threw it into the car.

Let the flame to prove to them that he was right. Fire that raged inside him. Now they would see that he was right. That Cameron could be trusted.

**### (****present****) ###  
**

Nothing foretold for anything strange and unexpected.

Abrupt electric discharge instantly swept through the alley between the houses. Seconds later was the following one. Moments later, and a lot of discharges lightened the dark alley, and a small blue sphere materialized right on the pavement. Glow of the electric ball grew until it melted into powerful explosion that had filled the darkness of the street.

In a small deeping two figures were squatting. They both shivered. Raising their head, they began to look around in surprise and shock; the houses were still intact, as like trash and anything else that surrounded them.

Then they, trembling, stood up and looked at each other. The guy and the girl. Brother and sister. And smiles filled their faces.

They embraced.

"We made it," the guy whispered. "We made it, Ridi..."

"We... we are... in the past," she whispered back. "We are in the real, not destructed world..."

They both parted their arms and looked into each other's eyes. Shivering from the cold, as well as electric-discharge, still ran on their bodies.

"We made it, Gab!" She smiled.

The guy smiled. And then he looked at a nakedness of his sister. "Connor warned about it," he said. She looked at herself, then at her brother. They were used to nudity, a war makes people closer. But in the "modern" world they should look appropriately.

"Come on, we need to find clothes," the guy said. Then he looked around. Among the debris they could always find something useful, including clothing. "And we have to warn Connors and Cameron."

The girl startled by that name, but her face didn't reflect it. They had to warn them. All the feelings were for later.

"Come on, Ridi."

And together they went to look for clothes. Brother and sister.

Gabriel and Ariadne.

******### (****present****) ###**

Sarah entered the main hall of the church, and came closer to Cameron, who was sitting on a bench in the front row. "Have you seen John?" She asked. In the hands of Sarah were a sandwich and a glass of milk. All that they had there.

Cameron stared at the altar, at Jesus. "I think he's using the shower." Sarah turned around, but as soon as she took a step and the voice of Cameron interrupted her: "Do you believe in the Resurrection?"

Sarah looked at her, and then took one look at Jesus. "What?" She asked.

"The story of Jesus Christ. The Resurrection." Cameron said. "Do you believe in it?"

Sarah put her head down, but then looked back at Cameron, more seriously. "Would you, if you'd seen what I've seen?"

"Faith isn't part of my programming," Cameron answered.

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure it's part of mine either," Sarah said. And for a moment she just looked at Cameron. "Why do you ask?"

Cameron turned her head to Jesus. "Maybe I've seen the one today," she replied.

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "Have you?"

"Yes. Your son has resurrected me."

Sarah was taken aback by this statement, but she couldn't argue with her. Because she saw it with her own eyes. "Well, I don't believe in resurrections," she said. Sarah turned and headed out.

"But you do believe in your son."

Sarah stopped immediately. She froze, for a few seconds she even couldn't move. But then she just closed her eyes and went out saying nothing.

Cameron was convinced that John resurrected her. Because that were his words had made her back to herself. That was his actions that allowed her to override the program of Skynet. She didn't get rid of this, Skynet was inside.

But now Cameron felt herself different. John had risked himself to save her. When he couldn't have. But if John was right, and they would change the world... could they be together then?

Could their dream come true somewhen?

Cameron hoped so. All they had to do was not to be afraid of the future and the suddenness of this future. They shouldn't be afraid of the dark.


	2. A New Dawn

**A/N: **_I wanted to tell that I added some scenes from the show to my story just to make another visions of the scenes. I have my own prequels to the story, and these episodes, they're different for characters._

_There won't be any kind of Wells or Serano Point (except Jessie's and Derek's while in the future). I've got some different 'evil' stuff there.  
_

_Read and enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 2. A New Dawn**

No matter what would happen, but here you can get hold of enough. Los Angeles just dazzled with all sorts of things, but you can find here everything you want.

Gabriel and Ariadne, unexpected visitors to this time and place, they were able to quickly find the clothes, and even found money for food, albeit a bit. They were unlikely to have a dinner; they were in a hurry to urgently warn Connors about the impending attack.

Searching through the phone book was useless. They needed to find a place where they could start looking. News on TV, newspapers, strange cases, rumors - it was a novelty for them, but they quickly began to adapt.

Time inevitably was passing by. If they are too late to prevent them, all could be lost.

*****()*****

John had changed. Yes, inside him there was still this childish fervor, he was still a teenager, but after experiencing it, he doubted he ever be the same again. And the first thing he changed was his hairstyle. Well, to show the changes through appearance.

Did he trust Cameron? After a moment's hesitation, he answered himself that he trusted her. After all, he couldn't do anything otherwise, his heart trusted that machine. No, not the machine, the girl. Let she had tried to kill him, but it was against her will. Her will had leaped at the very moment when he handed her the gun. Then he saw how right he was, and how much the others were wrong.

However, John Connor had no idea how far Cameron had changed. After the incident, she would never be that girl as she was before. Not in the sense that she didn't want to, she just could not. To constrain the order of Skynet, she had to make it all her efforts, thus weakening the emotional control of herself. If emotions at some point outweigh to her logical opinion, then Skynet would again be able to escape. Cameron knew that she had to protect John, and for his protection and for him, she would now be far less emotional than before. Cold and darker than usual.

And how much she wanted to avoid all this... She wanted to feel again the warmth inside that she experienced being in the bathroom with John, John with her... but she couldn't.

She should talk to him. She had to tell him, he should understand. For some reason she didn't doubt that John would take her, whoever she was, but she had to tell him, she had to have John known of the danger.

But Cameron had to find a way to back those blocks that collapsed. There were two ways. Reliable one and the one that not so much. Reliable method was in re-review of the chip, but it would have to be got out and explored again. John would be able to handle it, but would he put the blocks then?

There was also a second way. Not the most reliable for others. Cameron had heard about the cyborg's uprising. About the uprising, which happened not by the desires of people, and certainly not the desires of Skynet. Cameron could completely isolate all the blocks to clear them all, to remember 'herself' as she was before. That is, keep the memories, but completely back to the program of Skynet, and remove the conflicting blocks. And then to choose. Try to make a decision to co-exist with Skynet, but just ignore it and not try to fight it.

Cameron didn't know how it could be done. She had a few ideas, but only ideas, and she didn't want to risk. She didn't want to hurt John!..

*****()*****

John woke up and the first thing he saw - his mother's face. She obviously hadn't slept for a minute at night, which was not so very good. Yes, she didn't trust Cameron and wanted to protect John, but why torture herself so?

He sat up and looked at her. Sarah smiled slightly. "Hey," he heard her soft voice. Without a word, he got up and looked around. Cameron stood behind, near to the exit of the main hall, when they both, John and Sarah, were near the altar.

Derek went inside and immediately went to them. He threw one full of unconfident look on Cameron, and then went up to them. Sarah came out to meet him, hiding a gun.

Derek looked at her. "Managed to sleep?"

"And what do you do with a guard dog you can't trust?"

Derek almost shrugged.

"Just a wire knocked loose or something," Sarah said, looking over his shoulder at Cameron. Then she nodded slightly at John's side: "So he says."

"But she's nothing but wire. It's only a matter of time." Derek sounded very confident, but inside him there was some of the uncertainty. After what he had seen... he couldn't say with certainty whether it was true that Cameron suddenly "changed her mind" and hadn't killed John, or it was just a feint.

John looked reproachfully at Derek, but didn't object. He just passed by, slightly hurting Derek's shoulder. Derek surprised a bit at this, but said nothing.

John moved closer to Cameron. And he noticed changes on her face. If before she had just looked away, her face had impressed nothing, then as John approached, and her face began to play life, and it seemed to inspire. Cameron smiled slightly.

John looked at her face. "That's healing quickly," he said, looking at the scars.

Cameron looked on his face. "Quicker than yours, John."

He smiled slightly. And looked into her brown eyes. "Well, what can you say about the rest? You don't pounce on us, on me, anymore?"

Cameron slightly tilted her head, staring at the floor. She was silent for a few seconds until she again looked at him, and this time her eyes were sadder than before she had lowered her head. "I'm sorry, John. I couldn't cope with it."

"Cameron," John came closer, almost touching. Now he wasn't afraid of this proximity, as when he only had dreamed about her and couldn't ask for more. "Cameron, don't blame yourself. It was Skynet. You didn't."

"I apologize for being unable to stop before." She said it in almost plaintively voice, though trying to be calm. And John saw in her eyes the blame. No, she didn't play with him, she was real. Cameron he loved, Cameron he had dreamed. Yes, her face reflected not so much feelings as ever, and John could only guess what was going on inside her now.

"I don't blame you," John put his hands on her shoulders. Standing a few paces behind him Sarah was dumbfounded by this. "Because in the end, you showed yourself. Otherwise, if you didn't, you would have shot me. But you made it, you did it."

"You brought me back."

"Me?"

"Yes. You resurrected me. Your words. They made me remember."

John shook his head. "Let the words be just words, but this is not a decision I made. It was yours. I gave you a gun, and allowed to pull the trigger and break my life. But you didn't. What I've said earlier, it doesn't matter. You did it yourself. "

"John, I..."

"Don't, Cam. I know."

"I lo..."

"I know Cam," John smiled at her and nodded. "I know."

She hesitated before answering. But she only smiled in response. John gave her a hug and let Sarah saw everything with her own eyes, now John wasn't afraid to show his true feelings. Now, he grew bolder.

Cameron walked around him, and went to the altar, and then looked back out of the window. Sarah slowly approached John, digesting just seen. Approaching her son, she narrowed her eyes slightly. And she tried to think soberly. "John, I..."

"Don't say anything," he cut her off, and looked sternly in the eye. "I was there too, and I saw it with my own eyes. I hope this has convinced you that I was right."

Sarah quickly raised an eyebrow. "I was there. What if that's a trick?"

"Trick. To what? We are here for all the night being, and are still alive. So, killing is not the purpose. Information? So she lives with us not for the first day, and she knows enough about us. Not an option too. Blackmail? And what blackmail, for what purpose? I don't see the logic in this case at all."

John sounded very confident, especially for a teenager. And Sarah couldn't help but admit that he was right. However, her gut told her that there was something else, something more than a simple programmed protection of the future leader of mankind. And Sarah couldn't understand what it could be.

But she couldn't just accept for the truth what she had seen. She had to make John leave alone without Cameron, and just to watch Cameron alone. She looked at John. "You should go to school. Start on a new place," she tilted her head slightly, but still looked at John.

"School. Really?"

"You always talk about how English is so boring. I think we could all use boring today. Especially you."

John looked at Cameron. And for a few seconds he was just staring at the cyborg, while she was looking out the window. "What about her?"

"Last thing she is, is boring," Sarah said. "I'll keep her with us." She looked at John's scars. He looked at his mother from Cameron.

"With you? Why?"

"We need to find a new home, and she will check it."

"So you trust her in this, and send her along with me, then don't?"

"Sure. One thing is when she will be with us, and we are fully prepared. Another thing, when she is alone with you."

"I completely trust her."

"But I don't," she raised her voice, "Damn, John, how could you, she's haunted us throughout the LA, and you calmly react to her and even embrace her…?"

Not a muscle moved on his face, and it really frightened Sarah. John calmly looked at her, he didn't even move. Like a confident leader of mankind. "Yes, I can. Like I said, I trust her."

Sarah took a step back. Faced with such a solid wall, she just wasn't expecting that. "I'll keep her with us," she said. John looked at Cameron. Cyborg looked at him, her eyes were a little sad. John sighed.

"As you wish, General," and without waiting for an answer, he went to collect the bag.

Sarah sighed. Her son had changed dramatically, she couldn't fail to notice this. Turning, she looked after him. John's pace was calm and confident, as if he was worried about nothing.

Sarah saw it with her own eyes. How they exchanged glances, the way they spoke to each other. Was it possible? Could Cameron feel the love? Looking at how the cyborg came up to them in all this time, Sarah could almost say with confidence that Cameron _felt_, albeit not as strong and developed as people. But love?..

Could it be possible that Cameron hadn't shot him because of love?..

Sarah was more and more amazed by this. She had to learn the things better. She should overhear one of the intimate conversations between John and Cameron. Then she would know for sure.

*****()*****

While Sarah, Derek and Cameron were looking for a new house, John was bored in school, and couldn't help but get bored. There was nobody and nothing to talk to, but the fact that he was missing and longing for Cameron, it was obvious.

He didn't want to talk to anyone, but he wanted to speak. Just to remove the stone from his heart. Talk to Cameron? But he didn't want to burden her for it. Let the machine, John was sure that she could be as fragile as he was.

Being the only so outcast in school, he did attract attention, so the next break he just decided to sit outside, get some fresh air, and think about what he'd have to do next and how to do. Sarah and Derek, they both definitely deserved a talk, and John had to get them understood that things had changed. Because John had got the fact for himself that he and Cameron, they were made for each other.

*****()*****

Zeira Corp. office had recently filled with a variety of rumors, but the most important was just one of them - the possibilities of the Babylon project. After the order of non-disclosure, which was signed by each employee who was somehow related to the project, many began to think about the future of the project.

After the death of Lachlan Weaver, the head of Zeira Corp. Catherine Weaver did everything possible to make every employee to feel it like at home. Of course, for someone that wasn't enough, and most unprofitable employees towards her Catherine Weaver just killed.

However, many were happy to work for this company. And Catherine Weaver couldn't be more pleased with her own work.

After the acquisition of the Turk, the volume of work had increased, and Babylon began to come into effect. Of course, some rumors immediately began to spread, rumors about the new project, but people kept firmly in mind the order of secrecy. The company was full of rumors, but outside of it, the people were silent and didn't say anything about their work.

And Catherine Weaver was to enlist the support of the man who could help her to make all of her plans. Turk and John Henry, Babylon – it was just part of a grand plan of the T-1001. Plan on stopping Skynet. And she needed someone who knew John and Sarah Connor, and who was willing to cooperate with her.

She had called James Ellison. Catherine Weaver was in no doubt that he would work with her. She could only wait for his agreement.

*****()*****

Once they had chosen a house, Derek went to the nearest store of weapons, while Sarah and Cameron decided to ride for groceries. Mother of the future leader of the resistance still had no trust towards this cyborg, even against her son's treat to Cameron.

Derek had shaken his head when he heard that John hugged Cameron. But he decided to go to the gun store alone just not to see Cameron around. He began to wonder about her. No, he hadn't convinced himself that she could be trusted, but somewhere within him small and slight doubts, they gradually began to devour his disbelief from the inside.

Derek went to the store. Inside were three men and a seller. The guy who was standing at a distance, choosing ammunition, when the couple, boy and girl, intently studied the rifles. The seller nicely talked to them. When Derek came up to the counter, the guy with the girl retreated. "I'd like an M-16, modified," Derek said. Salesman nodded and went behind the partition.

The guy looked at Derek, and froze. That was certainly a chance in a million. "Derek! Derek Reese!"

Lieutenant turned his head in disbelief at his side, and fainted. Utterly familiar face, but hell, how many years he hadn't seen it! "Gabriel!" They embraced. "Damn, bro, how many years since I've seen you!"

"So do I," they unclasped his arms. Gabriel broke into a wide smile. "How I'm glad to see you again, you son of a bitch!"

Derek patted him on the shoulder. And then he looked at the girl. "Do I know you?"

"Uh, no," Gabriel looked at his sister. "Meet, Derek, this is my sister..."

"Ariadne?" Derek was surprised. And he looked at Gabriel. "This is Ariadne?"

The girl cleared her throat, obviously annoyed by such attitude. White hair very sexy lied on her shoulders, and an irritated look only added more desire to her looks.

"Ahem..." Derek paused. "Sorry, I don't... it's just your brother once told me that you're dead. Skynet killed you in 2025, prior to our meeting."

She smiled. "It was so. Almost. Skynet didn't kill me, but it captured and held me in one of the camps, south of Carlsbad." Derek raised an eyebrow. "And two years later, like the fate deigned to add some mercy, the same camp got my brother," Ariadne looked at the guy. "I couldn't even believe my luck then. On the wave of joy, we rebelled, and came out unscathed. So there Connor with troops have helped. They arrived just in time."

"So, Connor pulled you out of there," Derek looked at Gabriel.

"Yes, the damn General did it well. If not for him, we'd be smoldering the very spot where the camp was."

Derek smiled. "Well, at least now you're here. And by the way, for what?"

The brother and sister looked at each other. Gabriel sighed as Ariadne looked around. "We are here for Connor's order," Gabriel said. "He sent us to warn his past-self of the danger here."

"Fine. What kind of?"

They looked at each other again. "Kind of LMs," Ariadne said.

"LMs. What are the LMs?"

"You never heard of LM?" Gabriel surprised. "Damn it, man ... well, in a nutshell, we are in deep shit. Skynet sent after you not less than three LMs. What is it, ask Sarah or John. They can tell you exactly. I don't know what it is, I have never encountered them, but Connor said that he personally had the opportunity, in 1997. He said they spent several days trying to kill this thing."

"Well that's not so fun."

"LMs... we have never experienced them. But rumor has it... the most dangerous and the cruelest of all the terminators. Remember 3A22, outpost at north of San Francisco?" Derek nodded. "Skynet had there one of its LMs, we then received the SOS signal. We lost touch with the bunker after two and a half minutes. Two. And a half. Minutes."

Derek's eyes widened. At this point, the seller went with an improved M-16, and gave it to Derek. He briefly looked the weapon, then asked for ammos, and said he would take it. Seller only nodded in response.

Derek turned to brother and sister. "Well, they're not at home right now, I will not get anyone there yet. Wait a bit, then go."

"You have there that strict discipline?"

"Yeah," Derek offered. "It's just a house full of princesses."

"Is Connor now so cruel?"

"Rather, his mother," Derek looked away. "She is battle-ax, I won't get at her way ever. And this metal, Cameron."

Ariadne startled again, but again, no one noticed that. The past that connected her to Cameron, it was brutal and painfully unpleasant.

"Okay, we wait a bit and go." Derek looked at brother and sister. "I know a good place nearby where we can sit a while. There we'll discuss what's what."

Gabriel and Ariadne looked at each other and then went out after Derek.

Time they had was not so much, but they could afford a five-minute break. After all, they luckily found here and now Derek Reese. This gave them an advantage over time.

*****()*****

John was sitting quietly outside in front of the school, leaning on a stone. He was thinking and reasoning.

Derek and Sarah, they should know what was happening between him and Cameron. If they don't learn this now, then all later could lead to not the most pleasing results. It would be better if he tells them than they learn it accidentally.

He sat quietly and was thinking. He remembered the moment in the bathroom, he and Cameron together, and so close, they were kissing, nothing kept them and stopped them, until...

Sarah's voice... it interrupted their passion. Here we go again. The tasks, the mission, goals, murders. They walked and walked forward to their goal. And that was exhausting.

Every memory of Cameron gave him new moments of joy and missing at the same time. He wanted to be with her, wanted to spend all the time with her, but he couldn't, until he'd prove his own mother, that Cameron could be trusted.

"So you've been sitting in the same spot since you bailed out on English," someone's new and unfamiliar voice. John looked up and saw next to him a blonde, she chew something like waffles. "I figure it must have some kind of redeeming value."

John sighed. Only annoying girls he lacked. However, John didn't want to seem annoying and he tried to be friendly. _Rebuff her __at the first opportunity_, John thought. _And until __it would be nice __just to talk__, listen to __someone__ on a __background_. Let her sound a bit, and then John would leave. "You're in Mr. Hendrickson's class, right?" He asked, trying not to add irritation in his voice.

"It's Mr. Amadon's class, weirdo. And, yeah, I'm third row, second from the left," she sat down beside him. _No, it__'s too much. __Not enough yet __intimacy with __someone other than __Cameron._ John pulled back slightly.

"And your name is?.."

"It's Riley."

"Look, Riley, I really..." John hesitated a little, however, remembering Cameron immediately added him more confidence. "I don't mean to be rude..." but she interrupted him, not even letting finish.

"Let me guess, you are just way too busy for company right now?"

John grinned. "Obviously."

Suddenly the bell rang. John with some relief but quietly sighed. However, looking that Riley wasn't going anywhere to go, he decided to add some optimism to her: "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

She got up, but wasn't even going to go, and then she looked at him: "Don't you?" She asked, looking into his eyes. John shook his head. _She's annoying, though. Something is wrong here._

He instinctively sensed that something was wrong here, that this girl here was on purpose. However, he decided to resume judgment and listen to what should be next, what this little girl would be able to tell him. If she was here for a reason, John just had to learn it, but she already had seemed to him very suspicious.

"Hey, you got 20 bucks?" She said, throwing the wrapper into the nearest bin.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm still hungry."

_Want to eat together? Why not? I'll know more about you, and see if my suspicions are true or not._

John smiled and got up. Together they went to a nearby tent with fast food, where they bought burritos.

"Saint Bibiana," Riley said when they moved away from the tent. John was a little surprised. _What is this?_

"Saint who?"

"Saint Bibiana. It's the school that I went to until 9th grade. Well, 9th and a half, technically. Because I got the boot for this. Can you believe it?" She bent the sleeve and showed a star tattooed on her wrist. John looked up and smiled slightly. He sighed.

They came to a small stone hill and stopped there. John listened carefully to her, memorizing every word. The girl was clearly persistent, and John was very curious as to why. She was acting aggressively, even though she gave no sign of, as if she said, what they say, _I'm out of it._

"So, what's your story?" She asked, looking up. And then she ran a finger in the air, echoing the contours of his face. "You look a little..."

John grinned. "Oh, it's just a car accident," another lie invented by the family. Alibi. "I was teaching my sister how to drive."

It looks like she startled a bit by this. Did she know his sister or himself? Was there a connection?..

"Did everyone check out?"

_What's this? Strange ... people usually don't say so..._ "Check out?" John asked.

"Is everyone okay?"

_So, it seems that something is definitely wrong. It was as if the girl had heard of the military slang, or lived in a military family. Well, this could be too. Then it explains her strange behavior, she brought up in the military._

"Oh, yeah, we're fine. We're good," John remembered as Cameron chased them through the entire Los Angeles. "We're alive..." he said, and added in a whisper: "... for now."

Riley laughed. "You're full of carrots and apples."

John got into a stupor. _What is this? What military family taught this?.._ "Carrots and apples?" He asked.

"Yeah. Carrots and apples. You know, happy thoughts."

John was amazed even more, although some strange idea suddenly settled in his mind. Something strange, familiar, and something that should feared him. "I don't think that's really an expression." He said, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"It's not?" Riley said, looking at him furtively.

John suddenly remembered. _But of course!_ He had heard this phrase from Derek, only once, just once, but it was enough.

Either here and now it was just a coincidence, or Riley wasn't the one who she said she was. And it seemed it had become increasingly apparent.

_It's better that Cameron will check her. A strange feeling... it looks like she's from the future, but if so, and if she knows who I am, then why this farce? Why not just say, "Hi, John Connor?" Something is not right... let Cameron check her. Yes, that would be better._

It took probably about ten seconds, but it was enough to Riley began to suspect something. John decided it was time to get out of here. He learned enough.

Depicting that someone supposedly called him, John quickly took out his phone and began to portray a call. "Yes, Mom. Yes, I'm done. What? Oh, no, you're kidding me..." John rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll be there in an hour. All right."

John removed the phone. And regretfully looked at Riley. "I just hate it when it comes to urgent cleaning," he said.

"Are you like a mess?"

John grinned. "No, but a sudden cleaning is always worse than planned one. Unannounced guests. Mom are to the grocery store, while I am for the cleanup."

"And your sister?"

"I'll never live that long to see that," John looked away. He played it perfectly. "Well, um... see ya tomorrow?"

"Sure," she said. John nodded. And just went to the side of the road, throwing a backpack over his shoulder.

He played it perfectly. Although he didn't see the disappointed face of Riley, he still believed that she had been waiting for more, and he cut her off, cut her plans off. All right, Cameron would check her, then he could say with confidence what's what.

*****()*****

Cameron stood in the living room and looked out the window. John came up behind her, stopping in one step away. "Um, Cam... can I ask you something?"

The cyborg turned around and looked at him with a smile. "Of course, John," she said softly. "Anything."

John smiled back. He couldn't deny her beauty. But at the same time, he wanted to deal with everything quickly, so as not to be distracted by the affairs of everyday life, and just be with Cameron. "I, uh... could you check a person for me?"

"Of course. What happened? "

"One girl was very insistent with me today. It is normal, actually, but she seemed suspicious to me." Cameron's left hand trembled noticeably when John said that this was normal, but John hadn't noticed. "I didn't really want to talk to her, but she was insistent, and it looks like she let slip a couple of times. I heard her phrases that Derek is usually using, and this guy grew up in a war."

Cameron tilted her head. Hearing that John didn't want to talk to that girl, she calmed down, but it didn't simplify the task.

"You think she's from the future."

"There are suspicions, I don't argue."

"All right, John, I'll check her. Tomorrow we will go together to school, and we'll see."

"Thank you, Cam. By the way... we should do well to talk too. Just to dot all the "i"s…"

"I understand, John. I wanted to talk too."

John smiled at her. "But one thing is certain for sure, Cam. That my dream has come true, and it is standing next to me now," he smiled even wider.

Cameron was ready to embrace him now. But she kept herself restrained remembering that any emotional outburst threatened to return her to the main program of Skynet.

John caught the movement outside the house. "Um, we have guests? Didn't know that my lie turned out the truth..."

Outside the window, John saw Derek led the guy and the girl in the direction of their home.

Cameron followed his gaze, and scanned their faces. As she looked at the girl, her HUD immediately issued a warning. "Back," she said coldly. "Behind my back, and don't stick out."

John stared at her. "What happened?"

"I said back," Cameron raised her voice slightly. John unhesitatingly stood behind her back.

The handle snapped and the door opened. The three of them went inside. When a space between Ariadne and Cameron came to be free, then Cameron pulled a gun and aimed at her.

Derek immediately reacted and shielded the girl. "What are you doing?!"

Cameron's face was so cold and so lifelessly cruel that even the blood in the seasoned fighter's veins froze from such a look. Cameron said only one phrase that made Derek run even colder: "She is a Gray."


End file.
